About Bob Bourne

Bob Bourne draws upon more than 35 years of experience in transit management to guide transit systems in defining strategies and tactics for achieving their goals.

EXPERIENCE
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PRINCIPAL, Bourne Transit Consulting, LLC, Ames, Iowa, 2006 to present:

• University of Kansas, bus purchase, project assistance.
• World Food Prize, transportation coordinator, 2006, 2007, 2008.
• CUTR at the University of South Florida, Safety Culture Seminar.
• Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Transit Development Plan.
• Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, fixed route design.
• Western Illinois University, fixed route audit andservice analysis. VIEW PDF REPORT
• Marshalltown, (IA), transit service assessment. VIEW PDF REPORT
• Illinois State University, transit review.
• Jefferson City (MO), management assistance.
• Cedar Rapids (IA) Transit, strategic planning.
• Mediation Resources of Central Iowa, staff mediator.

As director of CyRide, the Ames, Iowa Transit Agency, Bob designed, specified, and implemented a fully integrated city/university/student transit system that serves the entire city. Some of his key accomplishments during this time include:

• During his 25-year tenure with the Agency, Bob led CyRide’s growth, from a 12-bus, 3-route system with 331,000 riders to a 65-bus, 11-route system with an annual ridership of 4,700,000—that’s 92 rides per capita per year, 47 passengers per revenue hour, for a city of 50,000 citizens.
• Secured funding for 42,000 square foot maintenance and office facility in 1982 with additions in 1990, 2003, 2005 and 2006.
• Created innovative management programs for operations, maintenance, and safety, including programs that led the Agency to a very low rate of claim experience; this includes a period of more than 1,000,000 miles without an accident claim.
• Managed 43 full-time employees and 95 part-time employees.
• Responsible for all aspects of operations, from union negotiations to annual subsidy negotiations from three local funding agencies.
• Responsible for the financial health of the organization and development of short-range and long-range plans for the Board of Trustees.

The director position required extensive collaborative decision-making with many different entities. He has extensive experience working with all groups involved in public transit decision-making, from Board members to government officials to the public. Bob reported to a six-member transit board representing the City of Ames, Iowa State University, and Government of the Student Body.

He coordinated transit development activities with the City of Ames Public Works, Police, and Planning and Housing Departments, and participated in various City of Ames quality improvement projects. In addition, he interacted extensively with Iowa State University Facilities Planning and Management, Police, and Parking Systems.

In addition, CyRide received numerous awards and recognition under Bob’s leadership, including:

• The UMTA Administrator’s Award, 1989
• Five APTA Safety Awards
• Two APTA Adwheel Awards
• The mobile dispatcher program was honored with APTA’s Excellence in Transit Award
• The City of Ames received the “All American City” award based on CyRide

Prior to his time at CyRide, Bob was the Manager of Suburban Bus Operations at the Regional Transportation Authority in Chicago, Illinois. In this position, he managed the coordination of 12 suburban bus garages with 450 buses. While here, Bob spearheaded the development of hiring and training programs for public and private bus operators in suburban Chicago, and developed reporting systems for operations and funding.

Bob also worked as Assistant General Manager for NORTRAN, Des Plaines, Illinois. Here, he developed programs for the transition from a private bus company to a public transit district in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. In three years, Bob increased the fleet from 88 to 130 buses and increased daily ridership from 10,000 to 30,000. He also analyzed and revised existing routes, added routes, increased service and conducted extensive labor relations activities.

Prior to working for NORTRAN, Bob was a Consultant for OTR Management Consultants. In this role, he started Wilbus, the Wilmette Municipal Bus System in Wilmette, Illinois. This included securing local funding, purchasing buses, developing routes and schedules and organizing operations. In this he conducted route planning studies for Northbrook and Deerfield , Illinois commuter bus services, and produced a transition plan for routes and schedules for the NORTRAN acquisition of Glenview Bus Company.

Bob’s early career included hands-on experience on the “front lines” of transportation services. Bob has worked as a mechanical engineer, bus operator and trolleybus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority, a bus driver for the Glenview Bus Company and a cab driver for Checker Taxi in Chicago.

Bob has also been involved extensively in professional activities, including:

• APTA Small Operations Steering Committee, 1994 – 2006
• APTA ISTEA and TEA-21 Reauthorization Subcommittee
• Presentations at APTA Annual Meetings
• Presentations at APTA “Transit in University Communities”
• TRB Paper: “Case Study in Land Use and Parking Regulations in Support of Campus Transit," 1991.
• TRB Synthesis Panel, 1998.
• Iowa Public Transit Association, Vice –President, Board Member, 1984 – 1996
• Iowa DOT Public Transit Management System 1996 – 2000
• Instructor, Iowa State University College of Business Administration 1982 – 1984

In addition to his extensive experience in transportation, Bob has also served on the Board of the Iowa Railroad Historical Society and is a volunteer Trolleybus Operator at the Illinois Railway Museum. He has also volunteered for many years as a Board Member and Mediator for the Ames Center for Creative Justice.

Education

• Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Transportation; Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1976
• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering; Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 1972